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A Formula for Speaking Fees

I was on a panel about public speaking recently and the topic of getting paid to speak came up. My answer: I do charge a speaking fee for most conferences I speak at. Ideally every person (full time, self employed) will be paid for speaking, but now that I’m a freelancer, it is imperative for me.

When I speak at a conference, I am committing to spending time away from traditional client work to prep a talk, practice a talk, travel to/from a talk, and give the talk. I’m super into math and formulas and I find that hard numbers allow me to figure a fair speaking fee. So let’s see how that works. If I say yes to an hour long talk, that can potentially break down to these hours:

Email correspondence with conference organizer (info, travel plans, etc): 1 hour

Prepping for talk (info, keynote design, research): 35 hours

Practice: 5 hours

Travel (including waiting at an airport, where I find it hard to do work depending on Internet/length of time): 5-16 hours

Conference (multi-day): 16 hours

That can be a total of 73 hours away from paying client work. Now, let’s break this time down a bit. If it’s a conference I’d be interested in attending, then the 16 hours at the actual conference can be a draw because I can also learn things there, So we’ll take that out of our total hours and now we are at 57 hours. Let’s say you only say yes to places with direct flights, no time zone change. That will save us some time, so let’s chop 7 hours off of our time to get down to a nice even 50 hours.

Let’s do some more easy math and say your freelance hourly rate is $100/hour.

50 hours (talk prep, travel) x $100 (hourly rate) = $5,000 potential money missed from paying clients

If you are comfortable with charging $5,000 a talk. Great! If not, here’s how you can get that lower without selling yourself short.

It takes me a long time to prepare for a talk, so I try to give it more than once. So if I am going to give the talk 5 times this year, then we can lower that number:

35 (total hours prep) / 5 (amount of times I’ll use this talk) = 7

Our new total hours for this talk, will now be:

Email: 1 hour

Prep: 7 hours

Practice: 4 hours

Travel = 8 hours

We now have a total of 20 hours so our new speaker fee can be:

20 (total hours) x $100 (hourly rate = $2,000 speaker fee

Still feeling too high for you? How about only saying yes to speaking in places that you would want to extend into a vacation? With that in mind you can cut the travel hours out of your formula - since you’d want to go there anyway. Now our new total is 12 hours, at 100 bucks an hour, will be a speaking fee of $1200.

Do you think this conference might lead to client leads? Well then maybe you can knock off another 100 or 200, and ask for an even $1000. This formula needs to be tweaked to your liking, but I find when I put numbers breakdowns in front of me, this thing (speaking) that some of us picture as intangible, suddenly becomes more of a product you are offering.

How do you ask for this?

I love when someone emails me, invites me to their conference and says: “And we’ll pay you $2,000!” - I”m like sweet! Perfect! But that doesn’t always happen. So then what? Just because they didn’t mention a speaker fee in the initial email doesn’t mean they don’t have money to give you one. So at this point, you can write back and say “what’s the speaker fee?” - but since I’m not always comfortable with a response like that, since i worry that might be read as I’m only in it for money - when lots of times conferences are a labor of love - I like to respond with thoughtful questions that will fill out my formula. Here is a sample of what I will write back:

How large is the audience?

What is the cost of the conference? How many speakers are there?

How long are the sessions?

Are talks recorded?

What is the speaker fee?

Were you looking for me to speak on a topic I’ve already covered or create a new talk with original material and slides?

Are there pre or post conference events to consider for travel planning?

If they write back and say the audience is 400+ people and the cost is $1000 a ticket and there is no speaker fee, I’ll respectfully reply that I can’t take unpaid days off from client work. This is especially amplified if they want me to create new, original content and/or if they will be recording and releasing videos of my talk on their site. From there, some people have said they understand and are sorry they can’t offer it and sometimes I’ve had people come back and either match what I asked or an offer close to it.

If they write back and say the conference will have 100 attendess and the cost is only $100 a ticket and it’s a place I really want to visit or at a conference I really want to attend, than sometimes I waive the fee, as long as they cover airfare, hotel, and travel expenses (such as cabs to/from the airport - that can be over $100 sometimes, and things like checked bag fees). Sometimes my boyfriend travels with me, and if they provide him a free ticket to the conference and an invite to the speaker dinner - that also is important to me. Conferences are expensive to run. I know that. So if they can’t pay a fee, how they handle the other details can be the deciding factors for me.

Lastly, I limit the amount of non-speaker fee events I’ll speak at a year, between 1-3, such as one local, one national, and one international. That way I have another formula that is easy for me fall back to when I am flattered by an invite, but realistically isn’t a viable event for my career or my accountants liking. And it is super awesome that anyone wants to hear me talk about things, so saying no to those is really hard, but this formula has helped me make smart decisions. Hope these ideas help you.

Also check out:

http://ladiesintech.com/speakers-take-care-of-yourselves/

http://ladiesintech.com/podcast-rachel-nabors/

http://seb.ly/2014/05/how-to-ask-to-get-paid-to-speak/

http://www.rachelandrew.co.uk/archives/2014/05/02/conference-speaking-transparency-and-fairness/

(Thanks to the wonderfully awesome Chris Coyier for feedback)

[sankofasextherapy]

Black woman, I see you. I love you. You matter. Even when our world continues to deny our humanity, know that you are worthy of all the good this life has to offer. https://www.instagram.com/p/CFgQePKMJK9/?igshid=1x3jd1b5d06l1

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Hi y'all! I've been reflecting on a lot these days, how we allow ourselves to experience pleasure, specifically Christians. I know lots of folks who spent so much time "denying their flesh" that when they're in relationships they feel are appropriate, they're not able to cancel out the negative messages they've internalized regarding sex and pleasure. Unfortunately, there is no magic switch that flips after getting into a covenant relationship. However, there's hope. We have freedom in Christ, y'all! And that freedom includes the ability to experience pleasure and explore our sexuality. Next month, I'll be sharing ways to incorporate spirituality into your sexual practices. Let's get free, y'all. 💜 . . . #YourFavoriteSexTherapist #CouplesTherapy #Relationships #RelationshipTherapy #BlackSexTherapist #SankofaSex #ChristianSex #ChristianSexTherapy (at Ferguson, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CELILudB8pO/?igshid=35ur43ax6ly6

[sankofasextherapy]

Have you ever thought about incorporating spirituality into your sexual practices? Sure, you can go to your favorite search engine, but you may not find concrete guidance on how to create rituals that can serve you. Join me, Sunday, September 13th at noon where we'll examine the ways in which spirituality, specifically Christianity, has been separated from sexuality, explore ways to reintegrate the two, and gain tools to create your own sexual rituals that include Spirit. Even if you don't ascribe to specific religious beliefs, this workshop can be beneficial. Although my framework is Christian, the tools provided can be applied outside of a religious paradigm. . . . #YourFavoriteSexTherapist #SEXtember #SexTherapy #ChristianSex #ChristianSexuality #Spirituality #Sexuality #Couples #CouplesTherapy #RelationshipTherapy #Workshop (at Ferguson, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEBG46WB7hr/?igshid=1mfsu1hb2bgd5

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This was me Mid-May-December 2016 smh

[sankofasextherapy]

Listen. This week tried my patience in many ways. However, at about 1:57am CST, I listened to #WAP and twerked my worries away, alone in my living room. I stan a clever and funny lyric and both Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion delivered. The sample reminded me of more limber days as percolator champ in the mid-90s and I was excited as two women were celebrating their sexual agency and pleasure. The conversations have been interesting, but they got us talking! Also, this isn't anything new. Black women BEEN singing about what they want and what they gon' put on you. What's your favorite lyric? Let me know below! . . . #YourFavoriteSexTherapist #Pleasure #Sexuality #Music #WAP #CardiB #MeganTheeStallion #Twerk #ItsAlwaysTimeForThePercolator (at Ferguson, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDnYLR0hdNn/?igshid=16x9okiyxpc6g

[sankofasextherapy]

One year ago today, Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison, known as Toni Morrison, joined the ancestors. She was my Soror, one of my favorite birthday twins, and an author I cherished. She wrote in a way that always centered Blackness when few others in the mainstream did. I'm incredibly grateful for her. I love this photo series of Mother Toni. She embodies happiness. Sensuality. Blackness. Freedom. Dance today to honor her. 🖤 . . . #YourFavoriteSexTherapist #BlackSocialWorkers #BlackSexTherapist #SankofaSex #ToniMorrison #Ancestors #CapitalizeTheB (at Ferguson, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDh6vz2hfx4/?igshid=101q3n5cbwqod

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A post shared by De-Andrea Blaylock-Solar, CST | #YourFavoriteSexTherapist (@sankofasex)

It's July 31st, National Orgasm Day! And what better way to celebrate than by treating yo'self? Although today celebrates orgasms, let's not focus so much on the destination that we don't enjoy the journey. Lots of folks may experience pressure to orgasm from themselves or their partners. Let's stop faking, y'all, and let's commit to being authentic to our experiences. Allow yourself to truly be in the moment and appreciate the delicious bits of pleasure along the way. And if orgasms happen... 🎉😁🤩 Have fun, y'all! It's a celebration! . . . #YourFavoriteSexTherapist #BlackSocialWorkers #BlackSexTherapist #ChristianSex #ChristianSexuality #Pleasure #Orgasm #NationalOrgasmDay #731 #SexTherapy #SexTherapist (at Ferguson, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDS61-mh08y/?igshid=16xymu496u793

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What are you doing this Saturday? No plans? Well check out this conference where I'll be talking about sex and intimacy. You can register at Unorthodox-Conference.com! https://www.instagram.com/p/CC9WGlhhSgr/?igshid=18m0v015ehx2g

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A post shared by De-Andrea Blaylock-Solar, CST | #YourFavoriteSexTherapist (@sankofasex)

7.6.2015, Sankofa Sex Therapy became an LLC in the State of Missouri! It's our anniversary, y'all! 🎉💃🏾 #YourFavoriteSexTherapist is kickin' it tuhday! . . . #SankofaSex #ChristianSex #ChristianSexuality #SexTherapy #BlackSexTherapist #BlackJoyIsResistance (at Ferguson, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCUV1P2BBSX/?igshid=1ojs0xqz8jgwa

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A post shared by De-Andrea Blaylock-Solar, CST | #YourFavoriteSexTherapist (@sankofasex)

The face you make when you realize that however you show up in this world, you are a reflection of God's image... @QueerTheology summed it up perfectly: "God's image reflects the diversity of all of God's creation. Creation that, since the beginning, God has declared good." . . . #HappyPride #PrideMonth #YourFavoriteSexTherapist #ChristianSex #ChristianSexuality #ImagoDei #AllBlackLivesMatter (at Ferguson, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCEqo8phPfX/?igshid=47nh2c7rv1jv

[sankofasextherapy]

FYI: Soul ties ain't biblical. I know, I know. I was taught a lot about them in church, at conferences, and through various video series. People have built their entire ministries on this concept, but it's not rooted in scripture. Theologian Candice Benbow ruffled a lot of feathers when she talked about this with Kev On Stage, but Sis is right! What have you been taught about soul ties? Have these lessons impacted the way you view your own sexuality? Let's talk about it in the comments. . . . #YourFavoriteSexTherapist #ChristianSex #ChristianSexuality #SexTherapy #PersonalTheology (at Ferguson, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CB_Yq51h6n5/?igshid=1roavqvxvy0pu

[sankofasextherapy]

Artist: @bktheartist Today is #NationalSexDay (6/9), an unofficial celebration of sexuality. Audre Lorde teaches us that self-care is an act of political warfare and thus, Black joy and pleasure can be revolutionary. Find ways to experience pleasure and joy today, whether it's solo or partnered. . . . #SelfLoveIsRevolutionary #SelfCareAsPoliticalWarfare #BlackJoy #BlackWomenDeserveGreatSex #BlackJoyIsResistance #BlackJoyIsRevolutionary (at Ferguson, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBPF4wJhOKB/?igshid=szhcdg9vqxfn

[sankofasextherapy]

Breonna Taylor should be celebrating her 27th birthday today. She was killed during a no-knock raid in March 2020 where police went to the wrong home and the person they were looking to apprehend was already in custody. Check the link in the artist's bio (@arielsinhaha) for actionable steps to call for #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor. https://msha.ke/30flirtyfilm/ . . . #BirthdayForBreonna #BlackLivesMatter #AllBlackLivesMatter #BlackWomen (at Ferguson, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBD47HnhmqW/?igshid=17w1eflks60ri

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#AllBlackLivesMatter. And I do mean ALL. . #HappyPride #BlackPride #CapitalizeTheB #BlackLivesMatter https://www.instagram.com/p/CA_53H7hk5m/?igshid=8mopwwxyxct3

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Looking for ways to support #BlackOutTuesday? Make sure you #AmplifyMelanatedVoices and take time to educate yourself. Google remains free, y'all. (at Ferguson, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA8txNJhGZO/?igshid=o8stna517a9p

[sankofasextherapy]

"Loving and caring for yourself and those close to you when the world denies your humanity is a revolutionary act." -De-Andrea Blaylock-Johnson . Activism, race, and self-care are interconnected. Audre Lorde teaches us that caring for ourselves is not self-indulgent, but self-preservation; it's an act of political warfare. Give yourself space to feel what you feel and still make space to love and care for yourself. Your survival through all of this is a sign of victory. . #BlackLivesMatter #AllBlackLivesMatter #SelfCareAsPoliticalWarfare #SelfLoveIsRevolutionary (at Ferguson, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAvcvbEhOzL/?igshid=j5gy8pgrcip2